Lord Laudasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether their policy on teaching of history, as outlined by the Lord Bach on 27 March (H.L. Deb., col. 591), that "History has an important role in putting lives, beliefs, values and attitudes in a much broader context", is consistent with their decision not to mark the bicentenary of the creation of the United Kingdom. [HL2071]
§ Baroness BlackstoneMy noble friend the Lord Bach was referring in very general terms to the teaching of history. This is an issue quite separate from decisions about celebrations of particular historical events. I refer the noble Lord to the answers given by my noble friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on 7 February(WA 60), 16 March (WA 230–231) and the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office on 28 March (WA 62).
The Government's policy on the bicentenary of the creation of the United Kingdom has been made clear on a number of occasions by my noble friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.